Are Beyond-GDP metrics converging?

The goal of MERGE is to develop “policies for sustainable and inclusive wellbeing”. A crucial question is which metrics would be used for sustainable and inclusive wellbeing, to replace or augment the dominant economic indicator – Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This report provides a review of the 90 most important “Beyond-GDP” metrics. A key feature of the indexes and indicator dashboards that have been created over the past 50 years is the heterogeneity of methodology and terminology. This report answers the questions whether convergence is taking place – a crucial question to make progress on the MERGE objective. The work is based on the knowledge of metrics of the MERGE consortium members and relevant external literature. The report benefitted greatly from discussion during a MERGE workshop in London. We are also grateful for the written feedback provided by many members of the MERGE project.